well-known or well known, which form is right?

Please use well-known.

Feebs11 wrote:

It is a well-known fact that he is well known. Both can be used, but a hyphen is required when the phrase is adjectival.

Next question:  does it apply to other adv/adj combinations?  [His desk is poorly organized ~ His poorly-organized desk is preventing his getting work done.]

I recently had this conversation with a friend, and she insists that the hyphen is used only with "well".  Ideas, Feebs?  Anyone?

What a great example!

Thank you.

Feebs11 wrote:

Philip wrote:  Feebs11 wrote: It is a well-known fact that he is well known. Both can be used, but a hyphen is required when the phrase is adjectival. That's how I learned it. Next question:  does it apply to other adv/adj combinations?  [His desk is poorly organized ~ His poorly-organized desk is preventing his getting work done.] I recently had this conversation with a friend, and she insists that the hyphen is used only with "well".  Ideas, Feebs?  Anyone? My training is that you hyphenate the adjectival phrases, but not the adverbial ones. So "poorly organized" would not be hyphenated, but "clean-cut" would be. It is not an absolute rule so far as I can determine. Some people prefer to hyphenate, others don't. I prefer it if it clarifies a sentence.